Gantt on CSU President Pay Raises

Gantt, president of the California State University Employees Union, released the following statement in response to the California State University Board of Trustees' decision today to grant pay increases to several incoming campus presidents: 

"The California State University Board of Trustees' decision today to approve pay raises for several incoming campus presidents using funds that would be raised specifically for the salary supplements is insensitive, rude, ill-advised, and poorly timed. It's insulting to employees, students, and the public to keep hiking presidential pay, no matter where the funds come from, at a time of ever more draconian cuts to services and hikes in tuition. It's clear that CSU administrators just don't get it. Legislation is in the pipeline to curtail their ability to keep hiking executive salaries, and apparently that's the only way these tone-deaf administrators will finally get the message."

The salary packages for four incoming and three interim executives were the first under a new policy that freezes state-funded pay but allows individual campus foundations to supplement compensation up to 10%.

New Cal State Northridge President Dianne F. Harrison will receive $324,500, including $29,000 from the campus foundation; incoming Cal State San Bernardino President Tomas D. Morales will receive $319,000, including $29,000 from the campus foundation; Leslie D. Wong, incoming president of San Francisco State, will receive $325,000 including $26,251 from the campus foundation. Retired Admiral Thomas A. Cropper, the new president of the California Maritime Academy, will receive $250,000 with no extra foundation support.

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